Calculating machine



Nov. 10, 1936. E RAC-z 2,060,119

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1935 INVENTQR "n esi acz A'rToRNEYs IPatented Nov. i, B

tttgiit .CALCULATING MACHINE Ernest Racz, Detroit, Mich., assignor toBurroughs Adding Machine Company,

Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 12, 1935, Serial No.35,767

1 Claim. (Cl.` 1974-128) This invention relates to a calculating machineand is especially concerned with the paper equipment thereof.

In many types of accounting work it is desirable 5 to keep a runningrecord of the entries made over a given period while, at the same time,making different groups of entries on work sheets that are inserted andremoved from the machine from time to time. Bookkeeping or accountingmachines have been developed? for this work, said machines being knowngenerally as front-feed" machines because the work sheets that areinserted and removed are front-fed with respect to v the platen. Thepresent invention concerns this type of machine, but instead ofemploying a complicated bookkeeping or accounting machine the inventionproposes a simp'e, inexpensive frontfeed device that can be used with asmall calculating machine.

vThe general object of the invention is to provide an improved paperequipment for calculating machines. h i

A more particular object is to provide an improved front-feed paperequipment for a small calulating machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear-from thefollowing specification and drawing.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine with the invention appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is a partial right side elevation and section of the paperequipment with some of the parts cut away to show others more clearly.

The invention is shown applied to a small calculating machine known asthe Burroughs portable", the details of which are disclo'sed in HortonPatent l,853,050. It is to be understood that the invention can alsobeused with other types of machines.

General calculating machine features The machine has a plurality ofdepressible amount keys l 0 upon which items may be entered i afterwhich the machine is given a cycle of operation during which calculatingmechanism contained within the housing ii is operated- The cycle ofmachine operation is preferahly initiated by depressing a motor bar 12.A bank of control keys, such as the keys 3, is provided for conditioningthe machine to perfomn different 'functions such as subtraction, totaltaking, sub-total taking, etc.

During a cycle of machine operation type bars l4 are differentiallypositioned after which a printing mechanism operates to drive the typebars rearwardly against a platen |5 rotatably mounted between two,spaced, .stationary side plates IB (Figs. 1 and 2) An ink ribbon l'l ispositioned 5 to the rear of the type bars |4. This ribbon passes fromone ribbon reel to another, the reels being contained in the housings|8.

The platen is normally line spaced during each cycle of operation by aline space mechanism 20, 10 operated from a movable member 2| of thecalculating machine. The platen may also be line spaced by hand by meansof the platen twirler 22.

Record sheet The running record of entries is 'preferably made upon arecord sheet or strip 30 wound on a reel 3|. In the embodiment of theinvention shown, a second strip 32 having its rear surface carbonized isassociated with the record strip 30 in 20 order that, When the typestrike the work sheet immediately in front of the carbon strip, animpression will be made on the strip 30. The two strips are passed fromthe reel 3| under the platen IS and upward as shown in'Figs; l and 2,the strip 25 30 passing to the rear where it is vwound. on a rewind reel33 supported on the arms 34. The carbon strip 32 is allowed to moveupwardly to a position where the operator may tear it oif from tim tO'time- ``The strips are line spaced with the platen' by being held infeeding relation thereto by feed rolls 40 of which one is shown in Fig.2. These rolls are carried by arms 4| pivoted on a supporting blade 42,the arms being 'urged clockwise 35 as viewed in Fig. 2 by springs 43.The feed rolls maybe released by means of a hand O perated release lever44.

The record strip is thus held .about the platen so asto move therewithand it serves to receive 40 the entries made over a given period oftime. After each entry, the strip is line spaced so that the entries arelisted vertioally.

Front-feed' The front-feed means includes a front-feed 45 paper chutefor receiving and guiding a work sheet to front-fed position withrespect to the platen.

Referring to Fig. 1, the chute comprises two 50 spaced side plates i'iand 5i which are slidably mounted on two cross shafts 52 and 53 carriedby the stationary plates 16. The side plates of the front-feed chute arejoined by a Vertical cross plate 5G' (Fig. 2), and by a horizontal crossplate 55 55 (Fig. 2). Mounted upon the Vertical cross plate 54 are twowings 56 and 51 `which project to- Ward one another and which are spaced,from the Vertical plate to form a guiding pocketI or space to receivethe work sheets and guide them toward front-fed position with respect tothe platen.

For the purpose of further guiding the work sheets, and for holding themin position, a staticnary plate 60 is provided which is fastened at itsends to the stationary side plates IB. This plate extends downward infront of the platen and rearwardly under it. The plate assists inguiding a work sheet to front-fed position and it then turns the sheettoward the rear to position the rear end of the sheet approximatelyhorizontal. The plate is positioned with respect to the platen so thatit will guide a work sheet to the rear of the ink ribbon I'l, but theplate is sufliciently close to the platen so that when a sheet is passedbetween the plate and the platen, and bent to the rear, the sheet willbe held around the platen in printing position. It can still be movedeither horizontally or vertically by hand but it will be held about theplaten with sufficient firmness to enable the type bars to strike it andmake a clear impression.

The work sheet is guided further to the rear by a horizontal apron orguide 8| (Fig. 2) which holds the rear end of the work sheet insubstantially horizontal position and allows the rear end to projectbeyond the support where it can be grasped by the operator, ifnecessary. This feature is important where the entries are made near thetop of the work sheet because it allows the operator to grasp the rearend of the sheet to adjust the work sheet to proper line space position,or to pull the sheet out rearwardly.

A line finder is provided in the form of shoulders 62 and 63 on thestationary plate 60. The plate is cut out to permit the type bars H tostrike the work sheet and the shoulders -62 and 63 are formed so as toact as a guide line to enable an operator to adjust the work sheets inproper line space position while the work sheet is in Vertical andvisible position.

The front-feed paper chute may be moved laterally to different positionsto position the work sheets with respect to the printing mechanism andthe platen in order to vary the horizontal position of the entries onthe sheet. As mentioned, the side plates 50 and 5| of the paper chuteare slidably mounted on the shafts 52 and 53. A latch is provided forholding the chute in position although it will usually remain in theposition to which it is moved by the friction of the parts. The holdingmeans comprises a latch 10 pivoted at 'll and urged clockwise as viewedin Flg. 1 by a spring 12. The rear end of the latch is bent downwardlyand adapted to engage in a slot 13 in a collar 'll flxed to the shaft15. This latch normally holds the paper chute in the position-as shownin Fig. 1. To release the chute, the` latch 10 is rockedcounterclockwise by hand which lifts the rear end of the latch out ofthe slot 13.

. The chute may then be slid to the right and the latch released forentry into a slot 16 in another collar 11. As many collars may beprovided as desired and the number of positions to which the paper chutemay be moved can be varied to suit the requirements. In the embodimentillustrated only two positions have been shown.

No holding means other than the devices already described is used tohold the work sheet in front-red position. The paper chute, assisted byplate 60, holds the free end of the sheet in substantially Verticalposition. The plate holds the sheet around and closely aldjacent theplaten. The bend in the sheet serves to assist in holding it in positionfor printing but auows it to bo made on the record sheet 30. The worksheets may be quickly inserted and removed without manipulating anymechanism of any kind. All the 'operator needs to do, vwhen he wants toinsert a new work sheet, is to grasp the top of the one in the machine,pull it out, and then insert another. After a sheet is inserted it isadjusted to the proper line space position by reference to the line nder62-83. The sheet is usually stifl' enough to be put down to its linespace position. However, if the entry is wanted close to the top of thesheet, the bottom end will project to the rear of the paper support sothat the operator can grasp this to align the sheet, if he finds it moreconvenient. Also, if he desires, he can pull the sheet out by pullingrearwardly on it rather than forwardly.

The work sheet can be shifted laterally with respect to the platen'` andthe record sheet without disturbing eitherl and without the manipulationof anything other than the latch 'IO for releasing the chute. `When thechute is moved it moves the work sheet laterally but the plate 60 thatholds the sheet about the platen remains in position and thus keeps thework sheet in proper position about the platen.

The structure shown is very simple and inexpensive, yet it provides aconvenient means for keeping a running record of entries while at thesame time allowingwork sheets to be inserted and removed with greatfacility.

It is to be understood that the invention shown is for purposes ofillustration only and that Variations may be made in it withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as deflned by theappended claim.

I claim:

A front-feed machine of the class described having a paper support, aprinting mechanism, a rotatable platen carried by said support, means onsaid support for holding a record sheet about said platen in feedingrelation thereto, a frontfeed paper chute and guide for receiving andguiding a work sheet into front-fed position relative to said platen andrecord sheet, said guide also acting to hold said work sheet in asubstantially Vertical position in front of said platen with the lowerend of said sheet projecting rearwardly under said platen and to hold itsufiiciently tight to enable characters to be clearly printed by saidprinting mechanism on the vertical portion of said sheet while holdingit loosely enough to enable it to be moved laterally relative to saidrecord sheet or to be quickly removed from the front or the rear withoutdisturbing said record sheet, and means supporting said front-feed chuteand guide enabling it to be moved laterally relative to said platen.

ERNEST RACZ.

